{"id":9558,"date":"2022-12-21T13:32:17","date_gmt":"2022-12-21T12:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarstratos.com\/2022\/12\/solar-energy-the-greatest-gift-of-all\/"},"modified":"2022-12-23T11:03:36","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T10:03:36","slug":"newsletter-075-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarstratos.com\/en\/2022\/12\/newsletter-075-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Solar energy: the greatest gift of all"},"content":{"rendered":"

As 2022 draws to a close, although the climate situation is serious, it is a time to celebrate. The oppressive shadow of global warming and the energy crisis make the SolarStratos adventure all the more legitimate. The challenge of flying ever higher in an electric and solar aircraft makes the SolarStratos project a powerful promotional platform and a vehicle for change. The mission aspires to playing a decisive and driving role in the necessary shift to solar energy. Because after all, the greatest gift in the world is the sun, its infinite energy available to everyone. We can\u2019t compete with such a gift, but we can promote and share it with a maximum amount of people! Our last newsletter of the year comes with a few gifts to brighten up these end-of-year celebrations, and the entire SolarStratos team wishes you a radiant festive season!<\/p>\n

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The challenges of reaching higher in 2023<\/h3>\n

You lived our adventures alongside us, so you will recall some of our 2022 highlights, including a record setting world premiere wingsuit jump from an electric and solar powered aircraft in June in Verbier! This was preceded by a first inter-city flight in May between Payerne and La Chaux-de-Fonds, and of course the Ground Vibration Test conducted by the Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches A\u00e9rospatiales\u00a0(the French national aerospace research centre), a SolarStratos partner since 2020. In total, we conducted 22 new flights, notching up 14 hours and 18 minutes in the air. And every outing allowed us to learn new lessons and to answer technical questions. Batteries, motor, the flutter effect, the variable pitch propellor \u2013 mastering each element is a challenge of its own. \u201cOur challenge in 2023 will be among other things, to identify the best engine and battery adjustments to fly even better,\u201d said Roland Loos, CEO of the mission. And above all, to fly higher. Ever higher. With you! And to demonstrate the potential of solar energy. <\/p>\n

When a team outing gives you wings!<\/h3>\n

The end-of-year SolarStratos team outing brought 2022 to a fitting close with the whole team experiencing the magic of flying, like a plane, but without wings! For their latest adventure, the team headed to Valais to the Realfly (https:\/\/realfly.ch\/) free-fall simulator in Sion. Courtesy of the SolarStratos partner, team members got to experience the breath-taking sensation of hovering in the air in a flight chamber that was 4.35m in diameter and 14m high! You only have to take a look at the faces featured in the photos to see that this adventure was mind-blowing! Experiencing Icarus\u2019 dream was truly amazing, and the memory is still fresh in our minds!<\/p>\n\n\t\t